boundaries & promises
by mew-tsubaki
Summary: Oneshot. SLASH, HugoLouis. On such an easy-going night, Dominique questions the dynamics of her brother and cousin's "friendship" - if it can be called that. T for language & themes.


**boundaries & promises**

A HariPo oneshot

by mew-tsubaki

Note: The _Harry Potter_ characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not me. This is my first Hugo/Louis…and actual cousincest. -.- Blame Bethhhhhhh/**Ella-Bethh**. Read, review, and enjoy the slashy goodness! X3

- ^-^3

"Go grab my homework. It fell underneath your chair."

Hugo sighed and pushed his chair out, bending to grab the parchment. He placed it on the table and got back to work.

"...thanks."

Hugo smiled and said nothing, knowing Louis would not be returning the sentiment.

Louis grunted and brought one knee up to rest his chin, and he scribbled in the margins of his assignment. "Holy Helga, you're such a pushover."

"You're a Hufflepuff, too," Hugo pointed out without lifting his eyes from his own work.

"Twit," Louis scoffed. "I'm a Hufflepuff because the hat saw my loyalty to my sisters."

"You mean to Dominique."

"Of course. Vic's a bitch."

"She's your sister," the blue-eyed boy stated.

Louis lifted his light brown eyes and narrowed them. "Yeah, so what? You don't like everything about Rose."

Hugo said nothing.

"See. Merlin, just shut up and do your goddamned work. Don't you have to be Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes? You should just stop, you know; your mum and dad aren't going to see another Rose in you."

Hugo's face flushed and he gripped his quill tighter. "I like to do my best." He felt his cousin's eyes linger on him and he felt suddenly—uncomfortably—warm.

"Twat," Louis cursed after another moment passed.

The redhead sighed and continued to work in peace, used to ignoring the blonde's distractions. The bell would ring shortly, and they would leave the library and go to dinner and Louis couldn't harass him _too_ much in front of the family...though he did like toying with Hugo.

As though summoned by thought, the bell rang and the period ended. Hugo stood up and packed his things neatly in his bag and pushed in his chair...then he looked at his companion.

Where Hugo was polite, neat, and meek, Louis was rude, messy, and arrogant. Louis crammed all his belongings in his rucksack and swung it ungracefully/haphazardly over his shoulder. He didn't even wait for Hugo to follow him; he headed out of the library as though he'd arrived on his own. Nevertheless, Hugo was right behind him.

Down in the Great Hall, they joined the other Hufflepuffs. Hugo tried waving Lily and Lucy over from the Gryffindor table, but Louis stopped him while his hand was in midair. "I don't want to deal with them tonight."

Hugo shrugged. "Fine."

Dominique walked over to them then, her boyfriend, Lysander Scamander, in tow. "Hey, guys. Get a lot of studying done? O.W.L.s are a lot harder than they look."

Louis shrugged and bit into a buttered roll. "It doesn't matter. I'll just copy off Hugh here." He said it with a devilish smirk and eyed his cousin, but Hugo bowed his head over his food.

"You can't actually cheat on those exams," Lysander pointed out. "They have checks for that."

"Then, gee, it's too bad I'm not a knowledgeable, fucking prat like Hugo then, hmm?" His smile was so casual, polite, and sardonic that Dominique frowned.

"Louis...," she warned. She sat beside him and settled him with a stern gaze. "What's with you and mistreating Hugo? You've been so mean to him for nearly three years."

"Dom, it's not a problem," Hugo interrupted, but she glared at him.

"You're no better! Stand up to him! But you," she said, looking back at her apathetic brother, "you're nothing but a big bully."

Louis was quiet a moment, but he looked at Hugo. Hugo stared back and shook his head slightly, so the other two would not notice. Louis looked at his sister again. "If he isn't complaining, then you shouldn't either, sis."

Dominique looked affronted on Hugo's behalf at his remark. "Louis...!" She frowned and stood, her lips pursed; she was not going to push the matter further. "C'mon, Sander," she said to the Scamander twin, and they moved further up the table away from Louis and Hugo.

"You didn't have to aggravate her," Hugo said to Louis after a few minutes of silence between them.

"And if I didn't, would you have preferred I explain our deal?" the blonde retorted as he angrily stabbed a piece of meat.

Hugo sighed. "I thought there weren't deals between best friends."

Louis snorted. "Best friends..."

They ate in silence after that, but they were still wide awake when they returned to the Hufflepuff common room. Those in the lower years turned in early; the older students milled about, but even they retired before Louis and Hugo wondered about leaving their spots in front of the fire.

When the last person had gone, Hugo continued reading and turned a page in his book. Beside him, Louis gave up proofing his essay and slouched against Hugo's arm. Hugo's concentration broke a moment, but he was determined not to let Louis get to him. However, when he felt circles being drawn on the back of his hand, he had to close his eyes and count to three to reign in his emotions.

When he got to three, he told himself to screw it, and Hugo snapped his book shut and turned to the lips that showed so _pink_ against that so _white_ skin. Even though he'd had his fill of dinner, he was now satisfying another hunger that could only be quenched by _this_ person, _this_ person whom he _loved_—even if that person did not want to hear such a word.

He pushed Louis back against the couch and continued to steal that sweet, sweet breath away. Louis responded with his impish fervor, and he danced his fingers across the backs of Hugo's hands and up his arms to his neck, which he gripped to hold Hugo's face near his.

Hugo stopped, though, after he'd undone the top buttons of the blonde's shirt. Seeing that bare neck sobered him up quickly and he sat bolt upright. He scrambled to adjust his own shirt and tie, but when he moved to get up from the couch, he tripped over his cousin's outstretched leg. "Damn it, Louis!" he hissed.

Louis whistled. "Ickle Hugo, cursing? Tut, tut..." He sat up, his eyes blazing. "Best friends...," he said, throwing back to their earlier conversation.

"I guess you're right," Hugo said with a defiant stare. "Master and servant can never be that close." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Louis' jaw clench, but the blonde didn't touch his comment.

"I keep your secret, you stay the pet, prick," Louis mumbled.

"Yeah? What if it's your secret, too?"

Louis met Hugo's eyes dead on and didn't blink. The two breathed in and out, in and out...in and out.

"...don't worry. You know I'd never say anything." Hugo sighed. "Just...just don't let me get that far again, okay? Kissing—kissing's one thing, but touching..." He let his words fade. "Good night, Louis." Louis nodded to him and Hugo went up the stairs. He got into bed, but he was still awake when he heard Louis come up and dive under his own covers. Only when he heard Louis' breathing even out did Hugo close his eyes and finally drift off. In his dreams, kissing was the least of his worries.

- ^-^3

**Awwr. As awful as Louis' mouth is, this was actually pretty sweet. Sheesh, I got this idea of them in my head and I just couldn't let go of it. -.- Good thing I didn't, right? ;]**

**There's a sequel to this—"crashing & burning: we'd be so lucky," so I hope you like it, too!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**

**-mew-tsubaki :]**


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